The all-around Joey de Leon

(Second of two parts)

Although Joey de Leon became very big in the movies and of course, on television and has recently returned to the world of recording with the release of his novelty album, Joey to the World (released by BMG Records, Pilipinas, Inc.), he will forever be indebted to radio, which paved the way for him to enter show business in 1968.

As I mentioned last Tuesday, Joey passed a radio audition for which he did not even apply (it was a prankster friend who submitted his name to the audition master). At ABS-CBN radio, his early assignments as a disc jockey required him only to play records and do time checks.

When the station launched D’WOW radio, the likes of Ike Lozada, Tessie Lagman and Roger Nite were made to anchor the all-local programming. Joey managed to get his slot only because nobody wanted to handle the late-night shift (10 p.m. to 12 midnight). Eventually, he was also given a 5 to 7 a.m. slot.

Although he enjoyed his radio job (girls came aplenty), the pay wasn’t really much at P180 to P200 a month. As he puts it today, "Kulang pa sa pambili ng sigarilyo (Salem, which was his brand then)." To tide him over — and this he doesn’t hesitate to admit — he resorted to accepting payola from record companies. All put together, the payola would amount to as much as P3,000, a lot of money then.

In 1972, ABS-CBN was shut down by martial law and for a while, Joey — like many others in showbiz — didn’t have a job. Fortunately, TV beckoned in 1973 via Channel 13’s Okay Lang, a gag show with the Sotto brothers, Ricky Manalo, the APO Hiking Society and the brothers Martin and Raoul Casado doing Donald Duck voices.

After Okay Lang came a lot of other shows (around 44 by Joey’s estimate) and going over the list is like a walk through TV history. Here are the more significant ones:

Hitmakers — A musical for Vicor, which he co-hosted with Lulette Moran on Channel 13.

Discorama — An early Saturday evening variety show on Channel 7 he co-hosted with Tito and Vic Sotto and the late Bobby Ledesma.

Student Canteen — From time to time, Tito,Vic and Joey would host this noontime program.

Iskul Bukol — A hit sitcom set in a classroom on Channel 13. (Remember the Escalera brothers?)

Eat Bulaga — The longest-running and most successful local noontime show ever.

Todas — A gag show on Channel 13.

CUTE (Call Us Two for Entertainment) — A Channel 13 variety show with Helen Gamboa and Sharon Cuneta.

Friends — A talk show for students in the old Channel 4 with Tito and Vic Sotto and Charo Santos as his co-hosts.

Joey & Son — A Channel 9 sitcom with then child star Ian Veneracion.

Super Suerte sa 9 — A sweepstakes show on Channel 9.

Buhok Pinoy — Pops Fernandez’s first TV show. Joey was the writer-director and occasional mainstay of this sitcom.

V.I.P. (Vilma in Person) — Aired over the old BBC-2, Joey was Vilma Santos’ first co-host.

Rated A — A Sunday night variety show on Channel 4, he was Alma Moreno’s co-host.

Let’s Go Crazy — A gag show with Maricel Soriano in the then newly-reopened ABS-CBN.

Apple Pie, Patis Atbp. — A Channel 9 documentary show on Filipinos abroad.

Mr. DJ — Playing a disc jockey, this was an anything-goes-gag show on Channel 5 with Giselle Sanchez and Candy Pangilinan.

Kilakotinis — A Channel 13 sitcom with Lloyd Samartino, Ramon Zamora and Luz Valdez.

Mixed Nuts — A gag show on Channel 7 with Val Sotto, Jenine Desiderio, Richie D’Horsey, Candy Pangilinan, Yoyong Martirez and Ali Sotto.

Kiss Muna — A Channel 7 sitcom with Jomari Yllana, Ara Mina and Elizabeth Oropesa.

Nuts Entertainment — Still ongoing on Channel 7 every Wednesday evening.

Now that he is entering his 36th year in show business, I asked Joey for the secret of his staying power in this fickle-minded industry. He shares with me the following tips:

Stay away from drugs and other vices — Joey doesn’t deny that he was into marijuana once — but it was only a passing stage. "Ang karamihan sa negosyong ito — whether singers or comedians — nawawala dahil sa bisyo," he claims.

Love your past — Keep mementoes. Joey had made the habit of keeping everything — receipts and contracts — in an album. Posters and still photos of his movies are all framed in his house. Looking at all these, he says, inspires him to move on and scale greater heights.

Be humble — "I always put in my mind, ‘Laborer lang ako. Dapat trabaho nang trabaho,’" Joey insists. "Kung magyayabang ka, dapat sa kalaban mo lang," he concludes.